Monthly Archives: March 2015

What are the chances that fate would once again lead me to an adventure that was most unexpected?

I must be living good because while we were in Mobile AL for David to take another week long class for his job, I decided to drive over to Hammond, LA for a little visit to my 2nd family, Martha and Leon LeLonde and my new little brother Joe Turner.

I decided that Martha and I would drive over to Baton Rouge to surprise Joseph Jilbert since I had not gotten the chance to see him after sending the portrait of him. So off we go, not expecting that the day would once again be magical.

We get to Baton Rouge arriving at Joseph’s studio, and just as we drove up Joseph came around the corner with a surprise look on his face and said “oh my God, what are you doing here” to which I replied, “I wanted to surprise you since I was so close to Baton Rouge”. We hugged and I introduced him to Martha. Joseph being the awesome guy he is started showing Martha around the studio. She looked at me with amazement to which I responded “I know, right?” She was now experiencing the force of nature that is JoJo first hand. He told us he was under a dead line to finish a project that had to get to an electrician by 2:00 p.m. I just set up my tripod and started shooting him welding the finishing touches to this huge chandelier.

It was getting around lunch time and I told him we needed to go because I wanted to go by Circa 1857 and see Sally Fox Conklin who delivered the portrait to JoJo. We hugged and he wanted to know when I would be back to which I laughed and said, “who knows when the universe will put us together again”. Martha and I left to grab some lunch of fire roasted oysters (so delicious) then off to see Sally. When we got there she wasn’t in. I told the woman working the counter that I was from NC and the one who had done the portrait and just wanted to hug Sally and thank her. She picked up the phone and called and Sally came right down. We were having a great visit when her husband called. When she got off the phone she looked at me and said “wanna go see JoJo hang the chandelier he was working on?” Uhhhhh are you kidding? YES!

On the way over she told us that the chandelier was for an episode of Treehouse Masters (which I have been watching for a couple of years). As it turns out it is the largest treehouse they have ever built and would be airing the end of February.

We arrived at a beautiful house over looking LSU lake to the hustle of people working on this jaw dropping treehouse. I immediately started taking photos. JoJo was on a ladder, saw me and said “Terie you’re here… are you getting all this?”. I laughed and told him I would document them hanging this huge chandelier.

I stood there thinking to myself, how fortunate am I that David and I took that right turn at the Mississippi River that led me to this incredible artist, and my new friend Sally Fox Conklin owner of Circa 1857.

Another exciting day in South Louisiana and another memory and experience that is forever etched in my soul.

God is good and it’s always exciting to see where he will lead you. It should remind us all that there are no mistakes in life, only experiences if you’re willing to look beyond what you think IS and open yourself up to so many possibilities.